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McPherson County planner tells Reno County commissioners groundwater levels have fallen in region; asks for regional coordination
Summary
A McPherson County planning official told Reno County commissioners groundwater monitoring over 50 years shows large percentages of wells have deepened—about 82.8% in Reno County—and urged regional consideration of permit requests and conservation measures to stabilize levels, noting GMD2 proposals and a chief engineer review timeline.
John Kinsey, director of planning and zoning for McPherson County, presented data to the Reno County Commission during public comment on Wednesday indicating regional groundwater declines and urging coordinated responses.
Kinsey summarized a WIMS groundwater dataset covering four counties (Harvey, McPherson, Reno and Sedgwick) that included roughly 1,686 wells and more than 284,000 groundwater measurements over a 50‑year span. He said McPherson County wells showed approximately 90% deeper readings over that period and Reno County showed roughly 82.8% of monitored wells trending deeper. Kinsey told the commission the data do not include recharge rates but are intended to prompt cross‑jurisdictional planning when large new water permits are requested.
He described proposed GMD2 measures, including programs to encourage irrigation‑pivot efficiency to reduce withdrawals and the goal of reaching a more stable groundwater level; he also said the GMD2 board planned to send recommendations to the chief engineer for review by July 1. County staff and commissioners noted the data and said they expect continued coordination at upcoming quad‑county meetings.
What happens next: commissioners said they would review the materials and pursue further discussion with Groundwater Management District No. 2 and neighboring counties as appropriate.
